diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl b/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl
index d5b7f0c07300..776e75ce470e 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/activation/switch-to-configuration.pl
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ sub fingerprintUnit {
 sub handleModifiedUnit {
     my ($unit, $baseName, $newUnitFile, $activePrev, $unitsToStop, $unitsToStart, $unitsToReload, $unitsToRestart, $unitsToSkip) = @_;
 
-    if ($unit eq "sysinit.target" || $unit eq "basic.target" || $unit eq "multi-user.target" || $unit eq "graphical.target" || $unit =~ /\.slice$/) {
+    if ($unit eq "sysinit.target" || $unit eq "basic.target" || $unit eq "multi-user.target" || $unit eq "graphical.target" || $unit =~ /\.slice$/ || $unit =~ /\.path$/) {
         # Do nothing.  These cannot be restarted directly.
         # Slices and Paths don't have to be restarted since
         # properties (resource limits and inotify watches)
@@ -161,8 +161,6 @@ sub handleModifiedUnit {
         # Reload the changed mount unit to force a remount.
         $unitsToReload->{$unit} = 1;
         recordUnit($reloadListFile, $unit);
-    } elsif ($unit =~ /\.path$/) {
-        # FIXME: do something?
     } else {
         my $unitInfo = parseUnit($newUnitFile);
         if (boolIsTrue($unitInfo->{'X-ReloadIfChanged'} // "no")) {
diff --git a/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix b/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
index 1acccbd17540..be8f22f5082a 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/switch-test.nix
@@ -131,6 +131,26 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, ...} : {
           };
         };
 
+        # A system with a path unit
+        with-path.configuration = {
+          systemd.paths.test-watch = {
+            wantedBy = [ "paths.target" ];
+            pathConfig.PathExists = "/testpath";
+          };
+          systemd.services.test-watch = {
+            serviceConfig = {
+              Type = "oneshot";
+              ExecStart = "${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/touch /testpath-modified";
+            };
+          };
+        };
+
+        # The same system but watching another file
+        with-path-modified.configuration = {
+          imports = [ config.specialisation.with-path.configuration ];
+          systemd.paths.test-watch.pathConfig.PathExists = lib.mkForce "/testpath2";
+        };
+
         # A system with a slice
         with-slice.configuration = {
           systemd.slices.testslice.sliceConfig.MemoryMax = "1"; # don't allow memory allocation
@@ -284,6 +304,22 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, ...} : {
         assert_contains(out, "would restart the following units: simple-restart-service.service\n")
         assert_contains(out, "\nwould start the following units: simple-service.service")
 
+    with subtest("paths"):
+        switch_to_specialisation("with-path")
+        machine.fail("test -f /testpath-modified")
+
+        # touch the file, unit should be triggered
+        machine.succeed("touch /testpath")
+        machine.wait_until_succeeds("test -f /testpath-modified")
+
+        machine.succeed("rm /testpath /testpath-modified")
+        switch_to_specialisation("with-path-modified")
+
+        machine.succeed("touch /testpath")
+        machine.fail("test -f /testpath-modified")
+        machine.succeed("touch /testpath2")
+        machine.wait_until_succeeds("test -f /testpath-modified")
+
     # This test ensures that changes to slice configuration get applied.
     # We test this by having a slice that allows no memory allocation at
     # all and starting a service within it. If the service crashes, the slice